There is growing interest in using wind turbines as an alternative source of renewable energy with zero or nearly zero emissions. There is particular interest in locating wind turbines at offshore sites which generally have stronger, more persistent winds than onshore sites and are not located near residences or other human activities.
The biggest problem today in achieving the promise of low cost electricity from the high capacity factor that is possible from offshore winds is the cost of deployment. For example, a new turbine and tower assembly can cost $1.5 million per MW onshore, but for offshore deployments, using monopile methods, even close to shore, will cost upwards of $2 million per MW to just deploy the turbine. At these prices, it doesn't matter how hard one works at lowering turbine costs as deployment costs destroys the cost effectiveness of offshore wind power. That is why there is so much focus on the Great Plains land systems. But the best winds and population centers are near the oceans and the Great Lakes. Thus, the cost of a 3 MW offshore turbine will be about $4.5 million, but deployment cost will be about $6 million for a total cost of $10.5 million, which is not economical. Deploying offshore wind turbines with fixed tower methods in deeper water is even more costly, and definitely unacceptably expensive with today's technologies.
Heretofore, no one has worked out an economical method to quickly transport huge wind turbines to say 15-30 miles offshore, let alone inexpensively deploy them in deep water. Accordingly, it would be desirable to develop economical methods for deploying offshore wind turbines and wind turbine assemblies that are better suited for the rigors of deep water deployments with enhanced see keeping capabilities.
Also, it's desirable to provide wind turbines with an improved construction to reduce weight and cost and increase life.